Spanish unity challenged - Nationalism not the only issue in play
Nationalism has often been nobly asserted but the idea has often been worn to cloak a sense of nativist superiority that leads to persecution. The genocide inflicted on Myanmar’s Rohingya is the sharpest example today but there are others; it is not necessary to refer to history to recognise that toxic dynamic. The assertion of national independence has often been nobly done but there have always been casualties — the excluded, those of a minority religion or even just those unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Those happy with the pre-revolution status quo, as our history sadly shows, often suffer more than most.
On Sunday week Catalonia will vote on whether to secede from Spain or not. Spain’s highest court has ruled the poll unconstitutional. The Madrid government is determined to disrupt the ballot. That may be easier said than done. In a no-compromise reaction that characterises struggles driven by something presented as nationalism, Catalonia’s separatists have promised to declare independence within 48 hours of the vote should their ambitions be endorsed. That is most certainly easier said than done in any real way.
